Saturday, August 29, 2020

The Substitute Millionaire by Susan Mallery



 Title: The Substitute Millionaire 

Author: Susan Mallery

Narrator: Savannah Richards

Series: #1 in the Million Dollar Catch series

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Harlequin (November 7th 2006)

Audio Version: Harlequin Books S.A. (March 16, 2010 )

Source: Audible Escape

Rating: ☕☕☕☕


Synopsis: Successful businessman Ryan Bennett had agreed to masquerade as his wealthy cousin for a blind date.


But from the moment Ryan saw Julie Nelson to the moment he should have said good-night, he was captivated and couldn't resist an invitation to share her bed. In the hazy afterglow of their heated lovemaking, Ryan confessed his true identity, claiming the passion between them was real despite his deception, but Julie wasn't buying it. Obviously she considered him the enemy.


Except now she was having the enemy's baby…. 


My Thoughts: Another great older category romance by Susan Mallery.


The Good, The Bad, and Anything Else I Might Want to Mention: I'm always hesitant to read category romances because so many just let me down either because of insta-love or because there is not enough room to create a viable plot. This one was a straight forward contemporary romance with a mistaken identity (on purpose) and a surprise pregnancy (not on purpose). I like that there wasn't a whole lot of added things to detract from Ryan and Julie's budding relationship. The main conflict within the book was Julie and her inability to trust Ryan. She was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop so she could throw it in Ryan's face. I understand why but after awhile it got tiresome.


The whole concept of Grandma coming into the girls' lives after they were adults and trying to control their lives and the lives of her great nephews was a bit odd and although her absence is explained it didn't do much for how controlling she was. Factor in she wasn't in contact with her own daughter for over 20 years because of the rift between her second husband and her daughter...her current controlling behavior doesn't jive well with her inability to stand up for her daughter and with her daughter against her husband back then. This is also explained away as if but the whole thing is just weird.


Despite those things I actually did like the romance even if the love part was quick to come. I enjoyed the banter between Ryan and Julie a lot and the interaction between Julie and her two sisters was enjoyable as well. 

Savannah Richards' narration was great. I'd absolutely listen to another book with her.


In a Nutshell: A nice quick read. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes Susan Mallery or enjoys a good category romance.



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